Before traveling with my baby on an airplane for the first time, I did ALL of the research. I asked for tips from friends I knew had done it before, I read through all of TSA’s and my airline’s guidelines for traveling with a baby, and I had read posts just like this one to make sure I knew exactly what I was getting into. I knew I had to know what I was doing because I was going to be alone with my second born baby who was almost 7 months old at the time and didn’t want to go into it blind.
In the end, it all went super smoothly and a TSA agent even told me it looks like I’ve done this before, which was a huge compliment to me as I was anxiously making my way through the airport actually doing it for my very first time.
I wanted to write this post for any other mothers out there who may not know what to do or expect when traveling with a baby. I’m sure there are people out there that travel regularly with their infants and may have even more tips and knowledge than me. However, I want to share my experience as a first-timer and hopefully give some tips that will help you feel more prepared.
Let’s get into it!
- Bring an original copy of your child’s birth certificate
This is something stated on both my airline’s and TSA’s website as a must have when traveling with a baby. I never had to actually pull it out and show anybody, but it is something you must pack with you in case someone asks you for it. I kept mine in a folder in my backpack to keep it in good condition and not end up crinkled in the bag. Make sure it is in your carry-on or personal bag so it is with you through security and at the gate.
- Check-in and print ticket at the kiosk at the airport when traveling with lap infant
This may have been something just for my airline or just for me, but when I tried checking in online the night before my flight, it sent an error message and said I had to check-in at the airport kiosk after arriving at the airport for my flight. I wasn’t too concerned about this because I had an assigned seat and also when you are traveling with children under two, you are one of the first to board the plane.
Basically when I arrived at the airport, I checked-in at the kiosk and it printed my ticket for me and for my lap infant. It was quite simple.
- Check car seat/stroller with baggage or at gate
When I went on my trip, I only had a backpack and my stroller with the click-in the car seat. It was a very quick trip and I didn’t need much. So, I brought everything with me through security and to the gate and didn’t check anything at the counter. At the gate they will take one stroller and car seat per child for free on any airline. I purchased these gate check bags to put my stuff in to protect my car seat and stroller.
However, if you have a different stroller set up and don’t want to lug around your child’s car seat, you can check it for free at the counter where you would check a bag. I’m sure you could check your stroller at the counter as well, but I highly suggest using your stroller all the way to the gate.
- Baby wear through security
The second I got to the airport, I put my baby into my Boppy Baby Carrier, actually a carrier one of my well-traveled friends suggested for me. This is something TSA’s website actually recommends for you to do through the security checkpoint. I pushed around my empty stroller with my baby on my chest and my backpack on my back until I made it through security.
At security, I took off my shoes and backpack, and they made their way through the scanner. The agents thoroughly checked the stroller while I was escorted around the body scanner and they then swabbed my hands and padded me down. I read online that sometimes they have you go through the body scanner with the baby, but in my experience, I didn’t have to.
I then grabbed my backpack and shoes, they gave me back my stroller, and I was free to go. I wore my slip on Vans so I didn’t have to worry about tying my shoes and could just slip them on. I have a weird thing about wearing sandals on airplanes.
- Food items for babies don’t have to meet the fluid ounces requirement
This was something cool I found during my research, but if you bring along food, milk, or formula for your baby, it doesn’t have to meet the fluid ounces requirement. Even if you are a nursing mother traveling without a baby, you can bring your pumped milk through security with no problems.
When I traveled with my baby, I had a few plastic containers of Gerber baby food. Even though I am pretty sure they were only 1-2 fluid ounces, I had no worries bringing them through because I knew no matter what size they were, they were allowed.
- Baby wear when getting on and off the plane
As I mentioned before, when traveling with children 2 and under, you are one of the first to board the plane. When boarding the plane, I put my baby back in the carrier so I could be hands-free finding my seat and getting comfortable.
I was able to pick my seat in advance. I chose the very last row by the bathroom and the aisle seat. I chose this because of any potential blowouts or anything else that would make me want to quickly get out of my seat and head to the restroom with my baby.
When we landed, my baby was asleep, but I put him back in the carrier so I could be hands-free when retrieving my stroller and car seat while exiting the plane since I was by myself.
- Nurse baby at takeoff and landing
This is a tip I saw all over the internet when I was doing my research before my flight. People have said it helps the baby’s ears not pop on the take off and landing, which is a reason many babies cry on an airplane. I was fully planning to do this, however, this is a tip I didn’t even have to try.
We were the first ones on the plane, we were all comfortable, waiting for everyone else to board and for the plane to get moving. I had in my brain that I was going to nurse him at takeoff, but then he started turning and acting like he wanted milk. I tried to hold him off as long as I could, but I finally gave in before he started getting upset. He ended up falling asleep and staying asleep for the whole flight, while I got the stroller and carseat back, and the walk to the curb where we waited for my husband to pick us up. While we were on the curb, the loud sounds from the buses ended up waking him up, but I couldn’t have asked for an easier first flight with the baby.
- Some airports have different spots for retrieving oversized luggage/carseats/strollers
One final tip I will leave you with is something I have not experienced yet, but I found in my research. If you have checked either your stroller or car seat with your baggage at the counter and you have arrived at your destination, it is time to go to the baggage claim. At some airports, they have a separate spot to pick up oversized luggage, which sometimes includes checked car seats and strollers. So if you are watching the conveyor belt go around and you haven’t seen your stroller or car seat, look around or ask around and see if that airport has a different spot for those items to be retrieved.
These are my tips from my research and experience from traveling on an airplane with a baby. Our family will soon be traveling all together with my toddler and baby, so I will be sharing my experiences and tips from that trip in the future. I hope you found something in here that will help you as you may travel with a baby for the first time. Don’t be afraid to try something just to see if it works and if not, you can always tweak it to make it work for you.
With love,
Victoria O’Brien